IKEA: A retail experience worth repeating
Dear IKEA,
I just got the memo.
The package just arrived.
I finally came out from my cave.
I just visited your store for the first time.
I can’t say I have a legitimate reason for my malaise. Other members of my family have been to your store numerous times and they couldn’t stop talking about it. My Mom (with formidable Swedish roots) is a frequent visitor to IKEA. She typically buys from the wonderful assortment of candles, napkins, and Swedish food. These wicker chairs (to your right) were gifts to our kids from my Mom (thanks Mom!) Being a keen observer of marketing, I couldn’t wait to see what the IKEA buzz was all about.
3 keys and a SURPRISE shouted loud and clear from my visit:
1. IKEA makes it very easy for me to dream: Everything is in context at IKEA. The coffee cups are pleasantly displayed in a startlingly simple and efficient kitchen. The lamps are smartly placed in the mock bedroom. Like an amped-up ‘Rooms To Go’, I don’t just want one cup, I want to buy the entire room. Now that’s maximizing share of wallet.
2. Am I lost or just inspired?: The dizzying serpentine walk throughout IKEA was an adjustment at first. My left-brain wanted to refer to the map. Where am I? What’s next? Where’s the bedroom section? Finally, I became wise and let the right-brain take over. I reveled in the brilliant designs and displays around every corner. Lesson: Let go and have some fun.
3. This isn’t a store, but a playground: Who knew that furniture, tables, bins, and lamps could be this exciting? From the copious couches and chairs that gently whisper, “Try me, you’ll like it” to the bountiful buckets and baskets of toys, bears, and balls that kids AND adults can’t resist, this store is to be explored and uncovered. IKEA isn’t fostering transactions, but engagements and connections. If you’ve visited once, you can count on a repeat visit.
SURPRISE:
Did anyone else notice the relevant, genius placement of a particular sign at about the halfway point of the store? The restaurant, which is expertly and appropriately placed near the halfway point of the store, features a sign that reads something like:
“Park your carts here and enjoy a meal at our restaurant.”
This subtle ‘nudge, nudge’ certainly was effective during my visit, as the carts were stuffed in place like too many people in an elevator. An immersive experience like IKEA fuels the appetite and this sign is the perfect enabler for effective commerce. It’s simple, yet it works wonders.
Amazingly, the family left the store with just one bag of delicious Swedish Fish. (Think gummi bears, not pickled herring) Next time, we will gladly spend more. Who knows? Maybe we’ll buy a whole room.
Has anyone else been moved by IKEA? Share with the readers of Naden’s Corner.
Until next time,
Dan Naden
